Spray nozzle for an eyewash fountain

ABSTRACT

A spray nozzle for an eyewash fountain to provide a large volume, soft, featherlike flow of water suitable for flooding a workman&#39;&#39;s eye to flush injurious matter therefrom. The nozzle has a relatively large chamber interposed between the nozzle inlet and much larger outlet, and the chamber is filled with a cellular body of nonabsorptive, form-retaining material having open cellular interstices interconnected one with another to define myriad random flow paths through the body accommodating the movement of water from the inlet to the outlet.

ijite tates atet [72] lnventor Allen C. Wright Moraga, Calif.

[21 1 Appl. No. 808,843

[22] Filed Mar. 20, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 [73] Assignee Haws Drinking Faucet Company Berkeley, Calif.

[54] SPRAY NOZZLE FOR AN EYEWASH FOUNTAIN 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. CI 239/5533, v 239/16, 239/5903 [51] Int. Cl B051) 1/14 [50] Field oiSearclr 239/5533, 590.3, 552, 553, 343,16

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,559,559 7/1951 lsenberg 239/5533 X 3,428,258 2/1969 Duggan 239/5903 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Thomas C. Culp, Jr. AtlomeyGardner & Zimmerman ABSTRACT: A spray nozzle for an eyewash fountain to provide a large volume, soft, featherlike flow of water suitable for flooding a workmans eye to flush injurious mattertherefrom. The nozzle has a relatively large chamber interposed between the nozzle inlet and much larger outlet, and the chamber is filled with a cellular body of nonabsorptive, form-retaining material having open cellular interstices interconnected one with another to define myriad random flow paths through the body accommodating the movement of water from the inlet to the outlet.

SPRAY NOZZLE FOR AN EYEWASH FOUNTAIN This invention relates to spray nozzles and, more particularly, to a spray nozzle especially adapted for use with an eyewash fountain or the like to provide a large volume, soft, featherlike flow of water suitable for flooding a workmans eye to flush injurious matter therefrom.

In certain factories, other industrial locations, laboratories and elsewhere, gaseous fumes, liquids and sometimes solid materials are present which can irritate or injure the eyes if exposed thereto; and at such environments it is common to use eyewash fountains that provide a spray of water suitable for flushing such matter from the eyes by flooding the same with water. An object of the present invention is to provide an improved spray nozzle operative to present a large volume supply of water issuing therefrom which is soft, featherlike and well confined and therefore suitable for flooding a workmans eyes to flush injurious matter therefrom.

Another object of the invention is that of providing an improved spray nozzle as described in which the spray issuing from the nozzle outlet is comprised of a plurality of individual streams which together aggregate a large volume composite stream that is confined in width so as to have a cross sectional area therealong generally approximating that of the nozzle outlet. A further object is in the provision of a spray nozzle of the character set forth which has an inlet, a much larger outlet, and a relatively large chamber interposed therebetween and filled with a cellular body comprising a fibrous mass having open cellular interstices interconnected one with another to define myriad random flow paths through the body accommodating the movement of water therethrough from the nozzle inlet to the outlet therefor for issue from the latter; the cellular body being nonabsorbent and form retaining and also being effective to reduce the pressure and velocity parameters of the composite flow stream issuing from the nozzle relative to those of the water supplied thereto; and the nozzle being provided with an apertured cover extendingacross the outlet to confine the cellular body within the chamber and to subdivide the flow of water delivered thereto into the aforementioned plurality of individual streams.

As the specification proceeds, additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent especially as the particular features and details thereof are considered in connection with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an eyewash fountain embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional view of one of the nozzles shown in FIG. 1, the section being taken along the line 2-2 thereof; 4

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, fragmentary top plan view of the cellular body forming a part of the nozzle shown in FIG. 2, the view being taken along the line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a side view in elevation of one of the nozzles depicting the featherlike stream of water issuing therefrom.

As indicated hereinbefore, the present invention is concerned with a nozzle that is especially useful in an eyewash fountain, and such fountain may be conventional except for the nozzle. The fountain shown in FIG. 1 is of the general type disclosed in US. Pat. No. Des. 174,722 which issued May 10, 1955. It will be apparent that the fountain may be of any other suitable type, and the nozzle comprising the present invention has general utility in such reference. The fountain 10 shown is equipped with two nozzles 11a and 11b respectively connected to a supply conduit 12 through control valves 13a and 13b. The water issuing from the nozzles 11 is directed inwardly and falls downwardly into the bowl 14 of the fountain from which it is carried to waste through a discharge aperture 16.

The nozzle illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5 may be either of the nozzles 11a or 11b, and for this reason is simply designated with the numeral 11. The nozzle comprises a nozzle casing 17 that defines a relatively large chamber 18 therewithin. The chamber 18 has an inlet 19 and an outlet 21 spaced therefrom. The inlet is defined in part by an internally threaded neck 22 adapted to be connected to a supply conduit 23 (as shown) through which water under pressure is delivered to the nozzle and particularly to the chamber 18 thereof.

- The casing 17 is of varying cross-sectional area and enlarges rapidly from'the inlet 19 through a transition section 24 and then gradually enlarges through a frustoconical section 26 to the outlet 21 which is substantially larger than the inlet 19. A typical embodiment of the invention would comprise both the inlet 19 and outlet 21 being of generally circular configuration and the outlet is of the order of three times the diameter of the inlet. As is evident in FIG. 2, the volume of the chamber 18 is quite large referenced to the size of the inlet 19 so that a general velocity reduction is defined as between the supply of water discharging into the chamber through the inlet 19 and v the discharge of water issuing through the outlet 21.

Located within the chamber 18 is a cellular body 27 that substantially fills the chamber so that essentially all of the water discharging into the chamber from the inlet 19 must flow through the body 27 in reaching the outlet 21. Confining the body 27 within the chamber is a cover 28 that extends across the outlet 21 and is provided with a plurality of apertures 29 thereabout. As shown best in FIG. 1, the apertures 29 are uniformly distributed about the cover 28 and they are operative to subdivide the water delivered to the outlet into a plurality of individual streams issuing therefrom, as indicated best in FIG. 5. The cover 28 may be secured to the casing 17 in any suitable manner, as by rolling the edge of the casing thereover. The body 27 may be located within the chamber 18 before the cover 23 is positioned across the opening 21, or it may be inserted thereinto through the inlet 19- since the body is compressible as will be brought out in greater detail sub- 'sequently.

The body 27 comprises a fibrous mass having open cellular interstices interconnected one with another to define myriad random flow paths through the body accommodating movement of water from the inlet 19 to the outlet 21 for issue from the latter as a plurality of individual streams. The body 27 is essentially nonabsorbent and is form retaining so that the water moving therethrough has substantially no effect thereon, and the size and orientation of the interstitial spaces therefore remain substantially unaltered by the water to which the body is subjected. Also, the cellular orientation provided by the body is predominantly unidirectional and establishes the direction of such flow paths as being generally between the inlet 19 and outlet 21. This characteristic is depicted particularly in FIG. 4 which illustrates that the body is comprised of a plurality of fibers or solid components 31 defining interstitial spaces 32 which are generally round although instead of being circular they have generally polygonal configurations. The orientation of the openings 32 along any plane cut through. the body 27 parallel to the inlet 19 and outlet 21 is such that the openings lie generally in the plane, or at least sufficiently so that spaces 32 in successive layers generally align with each other to establish flow paths therethrough, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4. In this regard, a plurality of spaces 32 in any one layer may align generally and be in flow communication with one or more openings in a preceding layer so that all of the flow paths through the body 27, although generally unidirectional, are of somewhat random orientation and are myriad.

Also as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the interstitial spaces 32 within the body 27 occupy a substantially greater volume than that occupied by the fibers or solid components 31 within the body and which components define the various spaces 32. Since the body 27 is thick and substantiallyfills the chamber 18, all of the water moving from the inlet 19 to the outlet 21 must move through the body and is therefore influenced by the components 31, interstitial spaces 32 and paths therethrough. Several materials having the characteristics described may be used to provide the body 27, and an example thereof is an open cell, polyurethane foam polyester. The cells or pores or interstitial spaces within such material are formed during the process by which the foam is prepared, and as respects the present invention the technique used for such formation may be conventional.

A more particular example of a suitable substance is Scott industrial Foam which is a product made by the Foam Division of the Scott Paper Company. Such product has a porosity of about'20 cells or spaces per lineal inch in all directions, and the average pore (the sizes vary considerably and the pores are generally polygonal rather than circular and have maximum and minimum dimensions) has amaximum diameter of about three sixty-fourths of an inch. Thus, the area of an average interstitial space or pore 32 is smaller than the area of the average aperture 29 which has a diameter of about three thirty-seconds of an inch. Such body 27 provides a distorted line-of-sight view therethrough from face to face (a thickness of about 1 inch in a typical embodiment) so that objects sighted therethrough can be identified.

While in the foregoing specification an embodiment of the invention has been set forth in considerable detail for purposes of making a complete disclosure thereof, it will be apparent that those skilled in the art may make numerous changes therein without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.

I Claim:

1. An eyewash fountain spray head to be mounted in a basin with a drain and to be connected to a source of water, comprising: two nozzles fixedly interconnected to respectively project two streams of water upwardly in intersecting paths; each nozzle comprising a nozzle casing having a chamber therein provided with a water inlet and a water outlet spaced from and of considerably greater cross-sectional area than that of the inlet axially aligned therewith, a cellular body entirely filling said chamber and comprising a fibrous mass having open cellular interstices interconnected to define myriad random flow paths through said body from said inlet to the outlet, the inner side of the outer wall of said chamber extending axially and becoming progressively more distant from the central axis of the chamber from the inlet to the outlet to ac commodate increasing lateral dispersion of the liquid flowing through the chamber, the portion of said wall adjacent the inlet being sharply divergent relative to the axis of the chamber to thereby provide a backing for the rear end of the cellular body, theremaining portion of said wall continuing from said backing portion to said outlet at a lesser degree of divergence than said backing portion; said cellular body being in contact with said wall completely from the water inlet to the outlet to thereby cooperate with said divergent wall portions in reducing turbulence of the water in the chamber from the inlet to the outlet, a flat perforated cover plate completely enclosing the chamber outlet, the openings in the cover being uniformly distributed over the entire area of the cover and having a cross-sectional area generally greater than the average interstitial space in said cellular body, and said apertures providing passages parallel to the central axis of the chamber whereby the individual streams of water issuing from said outlet will be unidirectional and have uniform flow characteristics. 

1. An eyewash fountain spray head to be mounted in a basin with a drain and to be connected to a source of water, comprising: two nozzles fixedly interconnected to respectively project two streams of water upwardly in intersecting paths; each nozzle comprising a nozzle casing having a chamber therein provided with a water inlet and a water outlet spaced from and of considerably greater cross-sectional area than that of the inlet axially aligned therewith, a cellular body entirely filling said chamber and comprising a fibrous mass having open cellular interstices interconnected to define myriad random flow paths through said body from said inlet to the outlet, the inner side of the outer wall of said chamber extending axially and becoming progressively more distant from the central axis of the chamber from the inlet to the outlet to accommodate increasing lateral dispersion of the liquid flowing through the chamber, the portion of said waLl adjacent the inlet being sharply divergent relative to the axis of the chamber to thereby provide a backing for the rear end of the cellular body, the remaining portion of said wall continuing from said backing portion to said outlet at a lesser degree of divergence than said backing portion; said cellular body being in contact with said wall completely from the water inlet to the outlet to thereby cooperate with said divergent wall portions in reducing turbulence of the water in the chamber from the inlet to the outlet, a flat perforated cover plate completely enclosing the chamber outlet, the openings in the cover being uniformly distributed over the entire area of the cover and having a crosssectional area generally greater than the average interstitial space in said cellular body, and said apertures providing passages parallel to the central axis of the chamber whereby the individual streams of water issuing from said outlet will be unidirectional and have uniform flow characteristics. 